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Patented Sept. 27', 1881.

R. PARKE.

MUSLIN VENBBR POR FURNITURE.

.IP/PII?,

(No Model) WIh-eesses f? we lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I RICHARD PARKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ISAAC GOODMAN, OF SAME PLAGE.

MUSLIN VENEER FOR FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,514, dated September 2'?, 1881.

Application filed December 9, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD PARKE, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Mus- 5 liu Veneers for Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved muslin veneer, and Fig. 2 an exaggerated sectional View thereof, showing at a the sheet of muslin, at b the varnish, and at o the wood.

The object of this invention is to provide, for articles of furniture and the like, a substance that shall take the place of ordinary wood veneer, as a Vmeans of embellishing the surface to which it is applied.

Heretofore articles of furniture were made costly by the application to them of costly veneers cut from scarce woods. These veneers do not assist in strengthening thefurniture, but are simply means of embellishment. As a substitute for such veneers I propose to use muslin upon which the grained surface of wood has been printed, or which has otherwise been properly embellished.

I am aware that paper has been used as a covering for walls, and that said paper has received upon its outer face matter printed upon it, either in imitation of the grain of wood or other embellishment. But paper is not applicable as a covering to wooden surfaces, because if moisture reaches it the adhesive paste will be readily dissolved, and because the paper will not be able to join in the shrinkage of.the wood. It will either tear or bulge out, forming air-bubbles between the paper and the wood.

In carrying my invention into effect I proceed as follows: I take very porous muslin, the pores of which shall be large enough to admit through them the adhesive varnish. Themuslin is flrst painted or colored on one side, which I will call the outer side, and afterward the ornament, either in the form of imitation of wood-grain or any other ornament, is printed or painted'upon it in suitable manner, with a color which shall not close the pores of the muslin, but, on the contrary, leave thesame open. After' the article of furniture has been prepared for the reception of the muslin veneer the latter-to Wit, the sheet of muslin, painted or ornamented, as described- 5o is first moistened to take out all the wrinkles and prevent shrinkage, and afterward the surface of the wood receives acoating of varnishsuch, for example, as ordinary furniture varnish-and while this varnish is still fresh and iiuid the muslin is placed and stretched over it. The varnish will now in part pass through the pores of the muslin, anchor the latter fast to the wood, as indicated by the black marks in Fig. 2, in which figure the thick black line b 6o indicates the varnish between the muslin and the wood, and the thinner black lines that project upward therefrom indicatethe varnish that extends through the perforations of the muslin, and that anchors itself on the'outer 65 surface of said muslin. The varnish, being transparent, will not interfere with the proper display of the ornament that has been painted, printed, or otherwise affixed to the outer face of the muslin. dry the muslin will be found securely attached to the wood, and, moreover, it will be in condition to receive a suitable polish-that is to say, coats of varnish may be applied to its outer face and rubbed down, and other coats afterward, which are again rubbed down until the most exquisite and perfect polish shall have been produced.

This porous iiexible veneeringconstitutes an inexpensive, and at the same time a very su- 8o perior means of ornamenting furniture and other wood-work. It is not liable to be affected by moisture, because it is fully protected by the varnish, and it is not liable to crack, as does Wood veneer, but will always retain its contact 8 5 with the surface to which it has been applied.

By the term muslin,77 in this specication,

I mean .any woven fabric made with pores or openings that are capable of receiving the anchoring-varnish, no matter Whether such fab- 9o ric is made of linen, woolen, cotton, or other thread. Open work silk, when made sufficiently porous, will also answer the saine purpose.

1. The process herein described of ornamenting articles of furniture and other wooden surfaces, which process consists in rst coating When the varnish has become 7o u the surfaces with varnish and then placing the varnish extending through the pores of upon them porous Inusln or fabric, through the muslim and over the paints, substantially 1o the porcs of which tlievzirnish is squeezed, and as described. A. the surface of which has been previously puinti 5 ed, substantially as described. RICHARD PARKE' 2. The veuecring which consists of un outer Witnesses: sheet of porous muslim, a, painted before up- WILLY G. E. SCHULTZ, plication, and oan inner sl1eet,b, of varnish, WILLIAM H. C. SMITH. 

